The Decorative Furnishings Association has begun a crowdfunding campaign to support its marketing initiative #DoItFor, which aims to convince consumers of the value of professional interior design. With varying contribution levels, from Supporter ($25) to Vendor Founder ($25,000), the campaign intends to raise $250,000. As EAL has reported, the campaign’s goal is to keep interior designers at the center of the conversation.  

Upon raising the funds, the #DoItFor campaign intends to create a digital platform for designers and vendors to engage customers via editorial and advertorial content, as well as a designer-client matching tool that pairs pros with clients.

Of its goal, the organization writes, "The DFA is leading the charge to gather key players around a concerted effort—by the industry, for the industry—with a simple goal in mind: Re-establish a connection with consumers by helping them navigate the complexity of the interior design process, while increasing consumer adoption of high-end interior designers services as a whole, to the benefit of designers and showrooms alike."

Chad Stark, DFA's president, says, "We believe that, for too long, our industry has been focused on peer communication, and ignored the importance of communicating with the broader consumer base out there. This is the primary reason why, as the home decor market soars, interior designers can end up missing business opportunities in the favor of more transparent, agile and consumer-friendly home decor services (online or retail). To stay relevant in the changing market context, something had to be done, so we launched #DoItFor."